Oberweis Versus Foster Debate Synopsis

by Andy Haaf

I had the pleasure of attending the debate this afternoon between Jim Oberweis and Bill Foster. Here are my observations:

First of all, say what you want about Jim Oberweis, but at least he is a man of principle and core beliefs. Other than his opening statement and a portion of his closing, Jim spoke directly to us in the audience. Rarely did he scramble and shuffle around for notes. He knew what he wanted to say and said it directly from his heart.

Foster however seemed dazed and confused unless reading from his notes. The first question was on the economy and the recent bail-out package. Foster barely made eye contact with us while reading his answer directly from the paper in front. Boy, and I thought Obama was lost without the teleprompter.

Second, I thought Jim was really on to something when he stated he would fight for term limits. I believe nearly every American would agree in shortening the career of our "career politicians". Jim was on point and on target when he said our Founding Fathers never anticipated Senators and Congressman would hold office for 20 or more years. He suggested 12 years max for both the House and the Senate. Jim, you are spot on and a great issue to differentiate yourself on.

Then Foster responded. He said length of service is not the problem. Instead, he believes the problem is people holding powerful committee chairmanships for too long. So what was his resolution? Let members of Congress vote on chair positions. Say huh? How in the world can he expect us to believe the members of either party will not vote in the same leaders year after year? The only oversight they preach is that of us, not them. How ironic.

Next, a question from the audience (mine in fact) was asked of the candidates. It was "Do you believe it is appropriate for the Government to take money from tax payers to explore new sources of energy versus allowing thought leading companies to succeed on their own?"

I was pleased with Jim's answer. He said no. It is not for Government to decide which forms of energy to pursue and force tax payers to fund the exploration efforts.

Foster answered very differently of course. His response was basically that some projects are too large for the private sector to fund and benefit from on their own. He cited patent life as an example. He believes it is Government's responsibility to pave the way for private companies to succeed later. Holy paternalism Batman!

Allow me to introduce the Congressman to a little company called Google. As many of you know, I am a Solutions Engineer for Google and we do some amazing things with technology for businesses and consumers as well as advancements for the environment. Not because Government and tax payer dollars paved the way, but because innovation is what fuels our success.

Google is an example of the kind of innovation Government could never provide nor inspire. For example, take a look at our approach to data center technology:

"Google-designed data centers use considerably less energy - both for the servers and the facility itself - than a typical data center. As a result, the energy used per Google search is minimal. In fact, in the time it takes to do a Google search, your own personal computer will use more energy than we will use to answer your query.

Most of our work is focused on saving resources such as electricity and water and, more often than not, we find that these actions lead to reduced operating costs. Being "green" is essential to keeping our business competitive. It is this economic advantage that makes our efforts truly sustainable."

You see Congressman ... Google does not need our tax dollars and Government meddling. We just need you to keep clicking on those ads ;)

In summary, I believe Jim did very well and I look forward to voting for him next month.

Comments

[Ali Khan]

I wish I could'be been at the debate :(

Except for the part of Foster reading his notes and looking dazed, I'm happy about everything else. I totally agree with answers.

[Pot calling kettle]

I seem to recall that the internet began with a little support from the Government.

[achilles1973]

Foster is worthless. He claims to be an independent, and votes lock step for both versions of the bailout. I could care less about his party affiliation. He's a skunk. Period.

He deserves to be tarred, feathered and thrown out of office with the rest of the skunks before he can spend one more dime of taxpayer money.

I spoke with Jim last week he was uncertain about the outcome of the election. I hope that his performance in the recent debate renews his confidence.